Method of knitting

ABSTRACT

A method of knitting an unroveable set-up comprising starting courses for a piece of fabric to be knitted on the single bed of needles of a knitting machine comprising the steps of knitting a first course and holding it against unroving, knitting at least one subsequent starting course, pulling alternate loops of said subsequent starting course through alternate loops of said first starting course and retaining the remaining loops of said subsequent starting course on the needles with the remaining loops of said first starting course, knitting a final starting course, and pulling alternate loops of said final starting course through said retained loops of the previous courses, and releasing said hold on the first starting course, leaving at least said first and final starting courses interlaced.

States t [191 Jeftcoat et al.

[4 1 May 13, 1975 METHOD OF KNITTING [73] Assignee: Courtaulds Limited, London,

England [22] Filed: Aug. 31, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 393,280

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 197,288, Nov. 10, 1971, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 33,375, April 30, 1970, abandoned.

2799151 7/1957 Elder et al. 66/172 3,078,697 2/1963 Johnson 66/172 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 210.320 9/1968 U.S.S.R 66/173 Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Attorney, Agent. or Firm-Davis, I-Ioxie. Faithfull & Hapgood 57 ABSTRACT A method of knitting an unroveable set-up comprising starting courses for a piece of fabric to be knitted on the single bed of needles of a knitting machine comprising the steps of knitting a first course and holding it against unroving, knitting at least one subsequent starting course, pulling alternate loops of said subsequent starting course through alternate loops of said first starting course andretaining the remaining loops of said subsequent starting course on the needles with the remaining loops of said first starting course, knitting a final starting course, and pulling alternate loops of said final starting course through said retained loops of the previous courses, and releasing said hold on the first starting course, leaving at least said first and final starting courses interlaced.

7 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEB HAY I 31975 SHEET 10F 6 KEITH JEFFCOAT ROBERT SCOTT DAVIS, HOXIE, FAITHFULL & HAPGOOD IN VEN TORs A TTOANt'Ys PATENTEB HAY I 31975 3 8 82 69 6 SHEET 2 0F 6 INVENTORS KEITH JEFFCOAT ROBERT SCOTT 5V DAVIS, HOXIE, FAITHFULL & HAPGOOD ATTORNEYS PATENTED=4AYI3I975 3 2 9 HEH 3 OF 6 KEITH JEFFCOAT ROBERT SCOTT DAVIS, HOXIE, FAITHFULL & HAPGOOD ATTORWt'Y PATENIEB HAY I 3I975 @HEET 5 0? 6 KEITH JEFF COAT INVENTORS ROBERT SCOTT DAVIS, HOXIE, FAITHFULL & HAPGOOD fiTTUR/VEVS Pmlimguumalsza 3.882.696

sum 5 0F 6 FAITHFULL & HAPGOOD A omvgvs PATENTED HAY I 3l975 SHEET 8 OF 6 m m g3 lNl ENTORS KEITH JEFFCOAT ROBERT SCOTT DAVIS, HOXIE, FAITHFULL & HAPGOOD 147 7 ORNEYs METHOD OF KNITTING This is a continuation of application Ser. 'No. 197,288, filed Nov. 10. 'l97l and now abandoned which was a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 33,375, filed Apr/30, 1970 and also now abandoned.

This invention relates to the knitting of plain knit fabric, that is fabric knitted on needles ofa single bed of needles, and is concerned with the provision of an unroveable set-up fora piece of such fabric.

Starting courses to produce an unroveable set-up are already known for rib-fabrics and can also be produced for plain knit fabric on machines which have webholding sinkers. lnitial courses of yarn can then be placed on the needles in a tuck-miss configuration before knitting an allknit starting course having loops intermeshed by the initial courses of yarn which thus prevent the all-knit course from unroving.

The present invention provides a method of knitting starting courses for a piece of plain knit fabric which can be carried out on machines without web-holdng sinkers, for example on fully-fashioned and fiat bed knitting machines.

According to the invention a method of knitting, on a single bed of needles of a knitting machine, an unroveable set-up comprising starting courses for a piece of fabric to be knitted on the machine, comprises the steps of knitting a first starting course and holding it against unroving, knitting at least one subsequent starting course, pulling alternate loops of said subsequent starting course through alternate loops of said first starting course and retaining the remaining loops of said subsequent starting course on the needles with the remaining loops ofsaid first starting course, knitting a final starting course, and pulling alternate loops of said final starting course through said retained loops of the previous courses, and releasing said hold on the first starting course, leaving at least said first and final starting courses interlaced.

The said first starting course may have its sinker loops held by a preliminary course consisting of an allknit course of a draw-thread or waste yarn or consisting of the end of a previous piece of fabric.

Alternatively, in a knitting machine capable of knitting a first starting course on empty needles of a single bed of needles, no preliminary'course need be knitted, the sinker loops of the first starting course then being held in the machine otherwise than by a preliminary course. For example, a take-down mechanism includinga known welt-turning bar of the kind incorporated in many fully fashioned knitting machines may be used. Such bars carry a separate hook for engagement with each sinker loop. They can be used for knitting turned welts in a well-known manner, for example in knitting stockings on fully fashioned machines. It is also known to use welt bars for knitting welts whichare not turned.

In such cases, knitting is started on empty needles and afterthe first course of yarn has been laid in the needle'sx 't he welt bar is brought in to engage one of its non-roveable set-ups according to this invention. When using such a take-down mechanism in the method of the invention, knitting is started on empty needles and each sinker'loop of the first course is engaged by a hook of the welt bar as described above. The welt bar is used to pull the knitted fabric away from the needles during the first'few courses of knitting until the set up is complete and another take-down means has engaged the fabric. A mechanism of this general kind could equally well be used in V-flat machines as in fully fashioned machines.

If preliminary courses are used, which would be the conventional method of starting knitting on a single bed of needles, the invention can be carried into effect on conventional knitting machines for example, circular, fully fashioned or V-bed machines. The invention is useful on V-bed machines when it is desired to knit fabric in tubular form, that is to knit pieces of flat fabric on each of the two opposed needle beds the pieces being joined at their edges to form a tube. This is a conventional procedure on such machines.

The invention extends to the knitting of starting courses for such tubular knitting.

Preferably, a plurality, for example two to five or more of the said subsequent starting courses are used in order to produce a good bulk of yarn interlaced with the final starting course.

After the knitting of a subsequent starting course immediately preceding the final starting course, alternate needles may be raised to knit height and to tuck height thus casting off stitches in alternate wales but retaining the remaining loops on the needles. The final starting course is then knitted, alternate loops of this course being pulled through any retained loops.

The first starting course may be a knit-tuck course. However, the first mentioned starting course is preferably an all-knit course.

course, are preferably'knitted of elastomeric yarn or yarn which will relax (i.e. shrink) on subsequent treatment.

The invention includes plain knit fabric having starting courses knitted by the method described above and garments including such fabric.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings which illustrate different methods according to the invention of knitting starting courses for plain knit fabric.

Referring to FIG. 1A, course a is the last course of a piece of plain knit fabric and course b is a course knitted with a draw thread separating the course a of the previously knit fabric from the starting courses for a new piece of fabric. Course b is an all-knit course, that is in each wale of the knitting a loop of the course b is pulled through a previously formed loop.

The first starting course 0 of the new piece of fabric is also' in the present case an all-knit course in that in each wale a-loop of this course is pulled through a loop of the draw thread course b. However, the next course 3 I d is a knit-tuck course, the loops of coursed in wales y are held in the needle hooks together with loops of the course 0. The following course e is also a knit-tuck course and the loops of this course in wales y are taken into the needle hooks together with loops of course d and the still held loops of the first starting course c.

The final starting coursefwhich completes the set-up is an all-knit course in the present instance and in wales x loops of course f are pulled through the heads of loops of course e. In wales y, loops of course f are pulled through loops of courses 0. d and e. Thus loops of the first starting course are connected directly to loops of a subsequent starting course not lying immediately adjacent to it in the fabric.

After the finalstarting coursefhas been formed, the knitting of the piece of fabric is continued with course g and subsequent courses.

When the draw thread course b is removed, as shown in FIG.'1B, the sinker loops of course can be pulled through the sinker loops of course d and the sinker loops of course :1 can then be pulled through the sinker loops of course e. This leaves the yarn of courses 0, d and e in the configuration shown in FIG. 1B in which courses c and d are interlaced with, loops-of the final starting course fand prevent these loops from unroving. The sinker loops of course e can be pulled through the sinker loops of coursefto lie beneath the fabric, as shown in FIG. 18, together with the needle loops of this course. After removal of the draw thread b, therefore, course e is no longer locked into the fabric and can be pulled away.

Additional knit-tuck courses corresponding to additional courses'd can be included to increase the bulk of the yarnsinterlaced with the loops of course for course d can be omitted altogether if it is deemedsufficient to have one yarn only interlaced with the loops of course f. Preferably, courses 0 and d are knitted of elastomeric.

yarn so that on removal of the draw thread the tendency of the yarn to relax will pull these courses to the configuration shown in FIG. 18.

Alternatively, courses c and d may be knitted from yarn which will relax on subsequent treatment such as washing and dyeing or a heat treatment.

Course e is preferably knitted from a yarn which is easily distinguished from that of courses c, d and fto enable this course to be recognised and pulled out of the fabric.

If course a is the last course of a previous piece of fabric, it may be locked during knitting to preventunroving.

loops of the final starting course. I

tuck course d and then a knit-miss course e in which yarn is floated across wales y. The final startingcourse l0 fis an all-knit course having loops pulled through, and

FIG. 2A illustrates another method according to the invention of forming starting courses for plain knit fabric.

Course a is the last course of previous knitting, course b is an all-knit draw thread course andcourse c is the first starting course and is an all-knit course.

Courses d and e are knit-tuck courses as in FIG. 1 but thus directly connected to, loopsof the first starting course C.

On removing the draw threadb, as shown inFIG. 3B, courses 6, d and e are left interlaced with loopsof the i s final starting course f, asshown, preventing theseloops from unroving. s I 7 FIGS. 4A and 4B show starting courses knitted in a similar manner to those of FIG. 3 except that the final starting coursefis in this case a tuck-knit course. When the drawthread b is removed, courses cand d remain interlaced with loops of the final starting course ffas shown in FIG. 4B, and coursee remains interlaced with loops of coursesfand g.

FIGS. SAto 5C show starting courses comprisinga I first starting course 0 joined as an all-knit courseto a n all-knit draw thread course b. Course a .is the last f I course of the previous knitting. Starting course d is a f V knit-tuck course on alternate needles, the needles; I being indicated at N in FIG. 5A. A number of knit-tuck starting courses similar to course d can be knitted up to the limit of the tuck holding capacity of the-needle: hooks. Loops of course c in wales y are thus held on the, needles. Following the last course d the needles reoper i H ated to raise alternate needles .to knit height and tuck,

height but no yarn is layed in. The loopsIof the last course d in wales x (theknit wales) are thus cast off gthe" needles whereas the loops in wales y areretainedinfthe needle hooks. The previous starting course Ioo'psin wales x thus unrove and drop out. If course a isthe last piece of fabric a locking course may be included to vent unroving going beyond course a. I

Next, the final starting. course f is knitted .as an ,all-h knit course to complete the set-up. Course g is the first course of subsequent knitting. The structure is'now as 1 shown in FIG. 5B.

When the draw thread. b is removed, course'c'is released and courses c and d adopt the configuration shownin FIG. 5C interlaced with loops ofth e final starting course f.

As in the case of the set-up illustrated in FIG. I, in the set-ups of FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, courses rand d are preferably knitted from elastomeric yarn or yarn which will relax when suitably treated. Course d can be. multi- I g plied in all cases to increase the number of yarnsinter-i laced with coursefwhen the draw thread isfrernovedr Course 0 can be formed as a knit-tuck coursein st'ead of an all-knit course as shown in FIGS.-1 to 5.

The starting courses may be preceded by'co ursesof' I y I waste yarn which may be the first courses of length of fabric or may constitute separating courses between I pieces of fabric. The draw thread course b wouldfthen be replaced by a course of waste yarn andinstead of I pulling out a draw thread to reveal the set-up it wouldI be necessary to unrove the courses of waste yarn. I

In FIGS. 3A and 3B. in which like reference letters}. are again used for the same courses asin FIGS. 1 and I 2, an all-knit draw thread course b is followed by an all-' I I knit first starting course 0. This is followed bya knit-f.

The present method of knitting starting courses is of particular use when knitting mock rib edge trims for garment panels produced on a fully fashioned knitting machine. Such machines do not normally have webholding sinkers and thus the use of conventional set-up courses is precluded. Hitherto it has been the practice to knit edge trims of true rib fabric on a separate knitting machine and then to transfer these to the needles of the fully fashioned machine. The presence of the rib edge trims made it possible to commence plain knitting immediately on the fully fashioned machine without using special starting courses.

The present method of forming such courses enables entirely plain knit fabric pieces with acceptable edges to be produced on a fully fashioned knitting machine. A mock-rib construction at the edge of the garment involving a knit-tuck construction in course g and subsequent courses can then be used to produce a garment panel very similar in appearance to a conventional panel with a trim of true rib knitting.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of knitting on needles of a single bed of a knitting machine, an unroveable set-up comprising starting courses for a piece of fabric to be knitted on the machine, said method comprising the steps of a. knitting a first starting course by taking yarn into the hooks of all of said needles and holding said first starting course against unroving,

b. knitting at least one subsequent starting course by taking yarn into the hooks of all of said needles, pulling alternate loops of said subsequent starting course through alternate loops of said first starting course and retaining the remaining loops of said subsequent starting course on the needles with the remaining loops of said first starting course,

c. knitting a final starting course by taking yarn into the hooks of all of said needles, and pulling alternate loops of said final starting course through said retained loops of the previous courses, and

d. releasing said hold on the first starting course,

leaving at least said first final starting courses interlaced, thus to prevent unroving of said final starting course.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including knitting two to five subsequent starting courses between the first starting course and the final starting course.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which at least one of the subsequent starting courses has alternate missed stitches in those wales in which another subsequent starting course has loops retained on the needles.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the remaining loops of the final starting course comprise tuck stitches.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the starting courses, except for the final starting course, are knitted of elastomeric yarn or yarn which will relax on subsequent treatment.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which prior to the knitting of the final starting course, the pulledthrough alternate loops of the subsequent starting course which immediately precedes the final starting course, are cast off whilst remaining loops thereof are retained on the needles.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 including knitting a preliminary course before the first starting course for said purpose of holding the first starting course against unroving, and subsequently removing the preliminary course from the setup for said purposes of releasing said hold on the first starting course.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE @ERTIHCATE GE @ORRECTIQN PATENTNO.: 3,882,696 DATED May 13, 1975 INVENTOR(S) 1 JEFFCOAT, KEITH and SCGTT, ROBERT It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Also in the heading, the following should be added:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 7 1969 United Kingdom No. 2334 3/69.

%igned and gcaled this twenty-sixth Day of August 1975 [SEAL] A ttes t:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (ummr'ssiuncr nfParenrs and Trademarks Patent No. 3,882 ,696 Dated May 13, 1975 lnventofls) Keith Jeffcoat et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, lines 33-34, "reoperated" should be deleted and are operated should be inserted.

Signed and Scaled this thirtieth Day of September 1975 [SEAL] P Arrest. 7

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN AIIPSII'HR ff Commissioner of Parents and Trademarks FORM PO-IOSO (IO-6S) USCOMM'DC 60376-P69 u.s. GOVERNMENT Pmmmc OFFICE: 93 0 

1. A method of knitting on needles of a single bed of a knitting machine, an unroveable set-up comprising starting courses for a piece of fabric to be knitted on the machine, said method comprising the steps of a. knitting a first starting course by taking yarn into the hooks of all of said needles and holding said first starting course against unroving, b. knitting at least one subsequent starting course by taking yarn into the hooks of all of said needles, pulling alternate loops of said subsequent starting course through alternate loops of said first starting course and retaining the remaining loops of said subsequent starting course on the needles with the remaining loops of said first starting course, c. knitting a final starting course by taking yarn into the hooks of all of said needles, and pulling alternate loops of said final starting course through said retained loops of the previous courses, and d. releasing said hold on the first starting course, leaving at least said first final starting courses interlaced, thus to prevent unroving of said final starting course.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including knitting two to five subsequent starting courses between the first starting course and the final starting course.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which at least one of the subsequent starting courses has alternate missed stitches in those wales in which another subsequent starting course has loops retained on the needles.
 4. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the remaining loops of the final starting course comprise tuck stitches.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the starting courses, except for the final starting course, are knitted of elastomeric yarn or yarn which will relax on subsequent treatment.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which prior to the knitting of the final starting course, the pulled-through alternate loops of the subsequent starting course which immediately precedes the final starting course, are cast off whilst remaining loops thereof are retained on the needles.
 7. A method as claimed in claim 1 including knitting a preliminary course before the first starting course for said purpose of holding the first starting course against unroving, and subsequently removing the preliminary course from the setup for said purposes of releasing said hold on the first starting course. 